title: Synthesis of benzyl substituted naphthalenes from benzylidene tetralones.
abstract: A convenient and efficient synthesis of novel highly substituted dimethoxybenzylnaphthalenes, which are precursors to several dihydroxynaphthoic acids, is described. The approach involves the use of aldol chemistry to provide a number of benzylidene tetralones, which are converted to the target naphthalenes in three steps, with good to excellent yields. Grignard reaction of intermediate benzyl tetralones provided 1-substituted benzyl naphthalenes. The reported synthesis is flexible and scalable and provides access to naphthalenes having a variety of substitution patterns. These benzyl substituted naphthalenes are being converted to naphthoic acids and the bioactivities of these compounds are currently being investigated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
authors.forename: Lorraine M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Deck
authors.forename: Quintino
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Mgani
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martinic
authors.forename: Lisa J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Whalen
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Vander Jagt
authors.forename: Robert E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Royer
keywords: Benzylidene tetralone; Benzylnaphthalene; Benzyltetralone